Book 1: TMNT: Don't Leave Me Alone
by SophiaStones123
Summary: Based on my most popular sad fic so far (TMNT: You're Not Alone)! Mikey's bros died while protecting him and the Shredder is still out there. What is the artefact the Shredder was talking about? What exactly happened that night? How will they help him now? WARNING: Bro-fluff and Character Death. Rated T for blood, just to be safe.
1. Prolouge: Last Words

"Bros! I'm coming!" Mikey yelled during his trip to the docks. He had just received a distress signal from his T-Phone and he is on his way to the docks. He was away doing something else important when he heard that his brothers were in danger. He ran as fast as he could, with a funny feeling that something is very wrong. When he arrived at the docks, what he saw shocked him to the very core. His brothers were bleeding, with many Foot Soldiers surrounding and looking at them.

"BOOYAKASHA!" Mikey yelled out. The Foot Soldiers heard Mikey yelling at the top of his voice and rushed towards him, but Mikey used his nunchucks and his kusarigama chain and attacked the Foot Soldiers quickly. The Foot Soldiers were smashed to bits within minutes. He then quickly rushed to his brothers and felt Leo and Raph's pulse. What he found out made his blood run cold. Leo and Raph have no pulse. They had departed. Mikey's tears were falling soundlessly onto the floor. "No...I'm too late...No..." He shook his head and whispered. Just then, Donnie opened his eyes. "Mikey, is...is t-that you?"

Mikey rushed towards Donnie. "Donnie, they...they have left. Raph and Leo..." Mikey burst into tears before he could finish his sentence. "Don't worry, Mikey. I...I know w-what hap...happened to them...Don't cry, Mikey." Mikey pulled Donnie closer to him despite of Donnie's weak state. Somehow, Mikey knew. He knew that Donnie is leaving too. "Donnie, hold on...You're going to be ok, Donnie. You will get better..." Mikey tried to cheer up despite the sad atmosphere. He didn't think that his brothers would like to see him cry. It just seems...wrong.

"Mikey...I know. I am dying as well..." "No, Donnie, you're going to be alright. I will call April and Casey. They will know what to do..." Donnie stopped Mikey before Mikey can take out his T-Phone. "Mikey, I will not be here for long. So, just listen to me, closely." Mikey held on every word. "We may have died, Mikey, but we will never leave you alone. We will still be watching over you. We will never leave you, ok?" "How would you know that? I won't be able to see you. I will..."

"Mikey, remember our promise? We will never leave you. We will watch over you and you will never be alone. Ok?" Donnie smiled as his tears fell onto his cheeks. Mikey nodded hard. "Ok, Donnie, I will remember that." "Remember, Mikey, we love you, bro." "I love you guys too." Mikey smiled as his own tears dropped down. Just then, Donnie went limp. His hand fell down onto the ground. Mikey felt his pulse. There was no pulse. Donnie left as well.

Mikey started to break down, with his hand covering his mouth as he cried silently. His tears flowed endlessly and dropped to the ground. Just then, his T-Phone rang. Mikey answered it. "Hey, April." "Hey, Mikey. What's wrong with your voice? Are...are you crying, Mikey? What's going on?" "April...my bros just..." He started to cry again. "Where are you?" "At the docks." "Ok, Casey and I will meet you there. You gonna be ok?" "I guess..." "Ok, Mikey, see you there." Mikey hung up the phone and waited for Casey and April.

When Casey and April arrived at the scene, they gasped in horror. "Oh my gosh..." Foot Soldiers were everywhere, being strewn to pieces. What horrified them the most, however, was the 3 older turtles lying around, with Mikey crying by the side. "Mikey! What happened? What happened to the dudes?" Casey yelled. April attempted to calm the distressed turtle down. "Casey, I don't think yelling is helping." "Fine." Casey said. "Mikey, what happened? What happened to the others?" "They...They are gone, April. They are d-dead!"

"Oh, Mikey..." April hugged Mikey with one arm. Mikey was sobbing. "Don't worry, Mikey. You still have us, Master Splinter, and everyone else. Everything's gonna be ok." "You sure, April?" "Yes, Mikey." "Ok." April then called Casey to do something. "Casey, we've gotta bring the guys back. I think Master Splinter needs to know what happened." "Ok, Red." Casey was more solemn than usual. He might not know what it was like losing a loved one, but Casey thought about his sister. If he ever lost his sister like that, he would be distraught too.

Casey, April and Mikey carried the dead bros onto the Shell Raiser. The cold feeling coming from Donnie's body reminded Mikey of how he had lost his brothers just some minutes ago, and he cried again. April and Casey took turns to comfort him and calm him down, saying about all sorts of things that would help to ease the mood. Little did they know, 3 bright figures were staring at Mikey sadly and worriedly. Although they could not touch him or do anything physically, but they can do what they had promised, which is to watch over Mikey and making sure that he was not alone.

-TO BE CONTINUED-


	2. Chapter 1: The MM! A Quiet Promise

Master Splinter was not pleased to hear that 3 of his sons were killed during their previous battle, assumingly the Foot. Actually, he was devastated. However, he knew that he must be strong for his remaining son. When he heard his youngest son crying, he knew that he must convince his youngest son to be strong. "Michelangelo, may I speak with you for a moment?" Mikey looked up, wiped his tears before going into the dojo.

"Michelangelo, I understand that you are feeling down right now, but I think that you should listen on what I will say to you." Mikey looked up towards Master Splinter. "Your brothers may have...died, Michelangelo, but you must not be disheartened. Death may look like the end of a life, but some people see death as a beginning." "How...how can people see death as a beginning, Sensei?" Mikey asked with a slight hiccup. "Death is described as simply an open door towards real, eternal life, my son. Eternal life is something that even someone with the most riches in the world, cannot buy, my son,"

"Your brothers may have passed, my son, but do not be disheartened. Instead, be happy that your brothers are in a better place now, enjoying this eternal bliss." "...Hai, Sensei." Mikey thought for a moment, before replying. He quickly wiped away any tear traces before proceeding out of the dojo. "Thanks, Sensei!" Mikey smiled before going into his room. Master Splinter, for the first time that night, smiled as he knew that he was successful at cheering his son up. He also sensed 3 familiar presences in the lair. Though there was no one in the pit, the 3 presences were still there, lingering. Master Splinter smiled before going into his room. Sometimes, brotherly love can be a beautiful thing.

Next Day  
April and Casey came into the lair. "Hey, Mikey, how are you coming along, so far?" "I am great! Well...kinda..." He stole a glance at the lab, which still contained the 3 bodies. They were cleaned thoroughly and bandaged as Mikey did not really want to see the blood flowing from the bodies, which reminded him of the tragic scene the night before. To distract Mikey from those memories, April started talking. "Hey, do you want to come with us tonight? We have some friends we want to introduce you to."

"Friends? Yeah boy! Are they cool? Awesome? Triple awesome with icing on top?" April giggled at Mikey's reaction. "No, Mikey. I think you will like them. They are...familiar, to say the least." "Really? Awesome!" Mikey replied. Oh, by the way, Master Splinter told me something last night." "Oh, and what is it, dude?" Casey asked. "Well, it's about how death is not truly the end, but how it is truly the beginning." Mikey started to mimic Master Splinter's way of speech.

"Woah, that's kinda deep," Casey commented. "Do you really understand all that?" "Uh, no, I don't really understand everything, but I understand a teensy bit though." "Ok, so Mikey, we will meet you in the lair tonight. Ok?" "Ok, April." Mikey agreed. The 3 figures smiled a bit knowing that Mikey is not feeling too disheartened...for now.

That Night  
"Ok, Mikey. Here are those friends I told you about." Mikey looked in awe at the friends. No wonder April said that they are familiar. "Leatherhead?" "It's good to see you again, Michelangelo, it's been a while." "LEATHERHEAD!" Mikey jumped onto LH and gave him a hug. LH hugged Mikey back. "Well, it's great to see you guys again." Slash said. "Now, where's Raphael?" Suddenly, the whole atmosphere became tense.

"Slash, there's something you should know." "Oh, what's that?" "Raph and the others...they...they were killed...by the Foot." "W-WHAT?!" Slash got angry when he heard that his ex-owner/best friend had been killed ruthlessly by the Foot. The rest of the Mighty Mutanimals were all distraught. LH had to clutch Mikey tightly to make sure that Mikey is still alive and not dead like the others. "That is most unfortunate." Dr Rockwell commented. "Donatello...he was a great friend."

"HOW WERE THEY KILLED?" "I...I have no idea, Slash. When I got there, I...I saw tons of Foot Soldiers in the docks. The others were already b...bleeding to death." Mikey started to tremble at the gruesome memory. "So, the Foot killed them, huh?" Slash was furious. "Y...y...yeah..." "I'm gonna..." Slash dashed out, furious. "I will try and calm him down. Michelangelo, I advise that you calm yourself down. This is very unfortunate." Dr Rockwell said calmly. Mikey tried to find a place to sit down.

S, Dr R's Side  
"How can they do such a thing? How can they kill Raphael and his brothers?" Slash grumbled. "And leaving that poor guy all alone. Have they no compassion?" Slash said. He then made a decision. "Where do you think you are going?" He was interrupted by Dr Rockwell. "I am going to the Foot Headquarters, and show the Shredder what it means by getting his own medicine." "You will do no such thing." "Why shouldn't I? They..."

"They may have killed our friends, they may have deserved a beatdown, but what if Raphael or Donatello was here? Would they be happy with what you've done?" Slash stopped in his tracks. "Michelangelo and their master are already upset about losing their loved ones. What if you got killed recklessly? How would they both think about this?" Slash paused to think for a moment. "I understand your feelings, Slash, but this is not the time to be reckless. Let's help Michelangelo and his master get over their sadness and come up with a plan to find the Foot and take them down. I'm sure that his brothers would not approve of us recklessly giving our lives to the Foot." Slash thought about it before nodding his head.

Mikey's Side  
Everyone is trying to calm him down again. "Don't worry, Mikey, everything is gonna be fine." April soothingly told him. "Yeah, dude. We will be right by your side." Casey said. Soon, Mikey started to calm down. Everyone in the room sighed with relief. 2 of the figures also sighed with relief while 1 of the figures rushed towards Slash's direction. Someone had to make sure Slash did not do anything foolish.

"Thanks guys." "No problem." "Now, we have to come up with a plan to take down the Foot. They must not get away that easily." "I agree, but we must take Michelangelo and his master's feelings into consideration." Dr Rockwell and Slash came in. "Dr Rockwell!" "Michelangelo, when is the funeral?" "Well..." April suddenly interrupted Mikey's speech. "Master Splinter and Mikey had not decided yet. You know...unexpected timing." Dr Rockwell nodded his head.

"Yes, I perfectly understand. However, we can't take too much time. We also need time to organise and plan an attack on the Foot." "Why don't we plan both?" "Hmm, that's a good suggestion, Casey. I will call Master Splinter..." As they discussed about the time needed to plan both, Mikey gradually fell asleep. April saw this and with everyone else's permission, put Mikey onto a makeshift bed in another room. "Sweet dreams, Mikey." She whispered and walked into the main room.

Just then, a human went into the room through a window. After he made sure that no one was in there except Mikey, he opened the window and walked in. Judging by how the Mighty Mutanimals Headquarters was built, there was no way an ordinary human can climb in through the window easily. The human sat by Mikey's bed and gently lifted him out of the bed and hugged him. He rubbed Mikey's shell with soothing circles and rocked him back and forth. Mikey appeared to be having a nightmare, as some sad tears had dropped onto his cheeks. The human wiped those tears and hugged Mikey tighter.

"Don't worry, Mikey. We're still here. We will always be right here if you need us." When Mikey started to fall asleep more soundly, the human put him back into bed and rushed out of the Headquarters softly. He must find a place where he can get out of the human's body safely and join the other 2. "We will never leave you alone, Mikey. That's a promise." Donnie whispered.

-TO BE CONTINUED-


	3. Chapter 2: The Funeral and Comfort

At the Funeral  
The day of the funeral finally came. Master Splinter and Mikey agreed on the day of the funeral, which was about 2 days later, since the Foot could plan and stage their next attack at any time. The 3 bodies were planned to be buried in Northampton, where no one can find the bodies, since Northampton was pretty deserted, according to April and Casey. When the funeral setting is being set up, Mikey hung his head. He just didn't feel like helping at all. He didn't want to remind himself of the scene in the docks a few nights back.

When the funeral has started, 3 strangers suddenly came in. April asked them politely, "Hi...boys, um, do we know you?" "Yeah, dudes, this funeral is reserved for relatives and friends only. Do we know you somewhere? Wait...how did you know about the mutants in the first place?" "Um...well..." Master Splinter saw this and interrupted before one of the teenagers can speak. "I invited them, Casey. The teenagers and my sons met some time back, so I felt it appropriate to invite the 3 to this funeral." "Oh. Well then, come on in." April ushered them in.

Master Splinter was initially surprised by the appearance of the 3 strangers, as he did not recall about any other human knowing so much about them. However, he sensed 3 familiar life forces in the 3 strangers. Their eyes also had the same colour as his sons' eyes. "Ah, my sons, I am glad that you can come physically. Your brother needs you." Master Splinter thought as he saw the 3 teenagers going into the funeral site.

Mikey was sitting on a stair of a farmhouse, gloomily watched the whole process of setting up the funeral. "Hey, Michel...langelo?" Mikey looked up to see 3 teenagers. He jumped up and started yelling at them. "Who are you? What are you doing here? How do you know about this funeral? How do you know it's here?" The 3 couldn't get a word in. One of the 3 teenagers raised his hand to silence Mikey. "We are just here to pay respects to your brothers. We heard about this and we want to come and say goodbye to them. We are...sorry about your loss."

"Oh, it's ok, dudes. I'm...just overreacting, that's all." "So, how have you been holding up?" "Oh, just fine. Peachy...just like what my bros would say if they were here..." Mikey's eyes dulled when he thought of the incident. "Oh, I see..." The 3 were about to talk further when Master Splinter came in. "Boys, I believe that it is time for the funeral. Michelangelo, I suggest that you will be as solemn as possible. Remember, this is a serious occasion." "Hai, Sensei." Mikey went with Master Splinter. The 3 followed behind them.

"...Though my 3 sons can be quite...not so understandable, but they are all compassionate, kind and loving. They used different ways to express these feelings and I trust that these feelings will not be easily forgotten." Master Splinter said. The audience was filled with a solemn silence. Mikey looked ready to cry, but one of the teenagers put a hand around his shoulder. Mikey smiled at him appreciatively. "Now, we shall bury the bodies in the freshly-dug areas. We shall proceed there." Mikey immediately asked, "Master Splinter, can I be excused? I just...need some time alone."

Master Splinter was about to open his mouth to object but he saw that apprehensive look in Mikey's eyes. He said gently, "You may be excused, Michelangelo." Mikey rushed off into the farmhouse. One of the teenagers rushed off after him. Master Splinter sighed deeply. With Leonardo going after him, assumingly to comfort him, Michelangelo would hopefully feel better about everything. "Master Splinter, where's Michelangelo?" Slash asked him. "I excused Michelangelo from this...process. He needs some time to clear his head." Slash nodded. He understood how Michelangelo was feeling and he did not want to push him. "Now, the burying will begin."

Mikey and Leo's Side  
Mikey cried into his knees. He couldn't stand to be reminded of that fateful day, the day when his brothers were perished. "Mikey? Are you alright?" Leo pulled him into a hug. Mikey did not really care that a stranger had just hugged him. He needed a shoulder to cry on. Leo patiently pat Mikey's shell and sighed. It was hard for him to be separated from Mikey, since Leo could not be with Mikey physically, like before.

"Do you want to talk about this, Mikey?" Leo asked gently. "I just...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." "Don't worry about it." Mikey wiped his own tears. Leo let go of Mikey and offered him some tissue paper. "You want some?" "Yeah, thanks." Mikey wiped any tear traces that were on his face. "So, you wanna talk about it?" Leo asked again. "I...just...I..I don't like to be reminded of it." "Come on, Mikey, it will help." "You sure?" Leo nodded at Mikey's question. Mikey then started to talk.

"We...we were going for our evening patrol. You know, the usual stuff. Then, the Shell-Raiser started to pick up a distress signal. The Foot was apparently do some exchange with the Purple Dragons at the docks. We were about to head there when we picked up another signal. Fishface was kinda...in another place, stealing some Kraang tech. I volunteered to use the Stealth Bike to chase him. The others objected but...I was certain that I can handle him alone." Mikey's eyes were beginning to dull.

Leo gave his arm a little squeeze. "So, then what?" "I...I found Fishface, and it seemed weird, because he had no Foot Soldiers, no Rahzar, no one. I kinda knocked him down within minutes, but tons of Foot Soldiers rushed in immediately. Fishface then started to stand up and he said that I fell into his trap. I was puzzled at first, but he said that he was just setting up a diversion. The real plan is to lead one of the turtles away...or was it two? I don't know. The whole point is, Fishface serves as a diversion while the Foot get what they want." Leo nodded.

"When I managed to go to the docks, my brothers...were...There was so much blood...Leo and Raph left, dude! Leo and Raph left and I didn't have a chance to say goodbye to them! I didn't have a chance to tell them personally that I love them!" Mikey shouted and started sobbing. "But, you said goodbye to the remaining brother, right?" "Yeah, I admit that I did, but it's...It's all my fault! If I escaped when I had the chance...if I did not leave to stop Fishface...none of this would have happened!" Mikey started crying again.

"Don't blame yourself for that, Mikey. You only did what you thought was right, which is to stop Fishface from getting his hands on Kraang tech." "But I..." "Listen to me, Michelangelo." Leo said firmly. "You already did what you could. There was nothing you could do to save them already, so you did the best thing you have done, which is to help your remaining brother to let go. Your brothers would have been proud of you." Leo agreed with himself when he said that. He was indeed proud of Mikey of doing what he had done that night, which is to help Donnie rest in peace.

"You sure, dude?" "Yes, I'm sure. Besides, I'm also sure that even if your brothers did not manage to say this, but they would have say that they love you if they had the chance." "Really?" "Really, Mikey." "Then, I'm glad. Thanks for talking to me, dude! I feel better already!" Mikey collapsed on the couch. Leo rubbed Mikey's shell affectionately while thinking, "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Mikey, when you arrived at the docks. Stop blaming yourself, Mikey. We are proud of you and even if we did not have the chance to say so, we love you, Mikey. You will never be alone and we will never leave you behind, ever."

-TO BE CONTINUED-


	4. Chapter 3: The Artefact! A Gift

Foot Headquarters  
"Was the mission you were assigned with...successful?" "Yes, Master Shredder. The mission was complete. The turtles were killed, thanks to that artefact you found in the Foot Headquarters in Japan." "Excellent. With this artefact, we can eliminate any enemy who gets in the way of my plans. The artefact killed those pathetic freaks, so, the artefact is not useless after all..." "Master Shredder, if I may ask, what does the artefact do, exactly?" Bebop asked before Rahzar can continue the conversation.

"This artefact can not only eliminate any enemy of the Foot, but it can also absorb a life force of a pure soul. It uses the life force of souls to become even more powerful. With this artefact, I can then rule the world and finally see the world, in chaos!" "Master Shredder, the orange turtle is currently the last of their kind. What do you intend to do with him?" "I will let him live, for now. The next time we meet, he shall perish!" "Yes, Master Shredder." Rahzar answered in glee. Little did they know, the 3 figures were hearing every word he said and were both hurt and angry. Are taking 3 lives not enough for him? What more does he want from the Hamato family?

Mikey's Side  
The Mighty Mutanimals were currently occupying one room in the farmhouse. April and Casey took separate rooms and they were both relieved that there was enough room for more than just a few guests in the farmhouse. The 3 teenagers had disappeared from the funeral as soon as it was over. Even though they invited the teenagers to stay as well, they promptly refused. When one of the teenagers put a comforting shoulder around him, Mikey felt a familiar sensation. It reminded him of how Donnie tried to comfort him during those times when he was feeling down. He, however, shook that feeling off. That teenager is not Donnie, and besides, Donnie and his brothers are not coming back. They are gone for good.

Mikey swallowed that bitter feeling before entering the farmhouse. He looked around at the farmhouse. He deeply sighed. So many happy memories took place there. Sure, there were bitter memories, such as Leo falling unconscious for 3 months and everyone feeling down for at least 1-2 months, but there were sweet memories as well, such as the fun training sessions, the family night, when everyone talked about their memories with Master Splinter...As he thought about them, he couldn't help feeling alone.

As he sat on the couch, he heard Master Splinter calling him. "Michelangelo, may I speak with you for a moment?" Mikey walked off from the couch and went into Master Splinter's room. "Michelangelo, I have been thinking, and I think that your brothers would want you to have these if they are here." Master Splinter took out his brothers' bandanas; blue, red and purple. Mikey gasped for a moment. "Sensei, I...I don't know what to say..." "I have discussed with the teenagers who were here this afternoon, and they also agreed that you should have them. Your brothers would have wanted you to have them to remind you of them, the next time you feel alone and afraid." "I...I just...Thank you, Sensei..." Master Splinter gave him his brothers' bandanas with a smile, remembering what had happened that afternoon.

Several hours ago  
"Boys, may I speak with you for a moment?" The 3 teenagers immediately go towards Master Splinter's room and respectfully kneeled before him. "Uh...Master Splinter, why did you ask us to come here?" "That question, Donatello, will be answered shortly." The 3 widened their eyes. "Master S-I mean, Sensei, how did you know that?" "I sensed that your souls were in those teenagers' bodies as soon as you have arrived at the funeral." "Oh..." Donnie said. "This is why I needed to speak with you." The 3 looked up at wonder.

"I am aware of your intentions to help your brother physically, which is why you are possessing a human's body, just like what is happening right now. However, I advise you not to do it excessively." "Why is that, Master Splinter?" "I know that your intentions are good, Leonardo, but have you stopped to consider about the beings you have possessed? They would have no clue about what had happened during your possessing. Even if they have advantages, there were consequences that those innocent beings may face. For example, if they have everyday life, just like April and Casey, they may suffer punishments because of reasons such as unexplained absences, etc. Would you really want those innocent beings to bear the consequences?"

"Uh..." "Hai, Sensei. We will not do it excessively." Leo respectfully obeyed. Master Splinter nodded with a smile. "Sensei, we've...we've been discussing about this, and we wanted Mikey to have these." Donnie held out 3 bandanas and handed them to Master Splinter. "We know that Mikey misses us, so we wanted to give him these to remind him of us..." "Thank you, my sons. I am sure that Michelangelo will like this...gift."

Present  
After he thanked Master Splinter, he went into his room. Mikey brought the bandanas close to him. He burst into tears and cried silently. "Bros, no matter where you are, I will miss you all. I will pull myself together, defeat the Shredder with the help of our friends and make you bros proud." As he fell fast asleep, 3 figures suddenly appeared on his bed and silently kept watch over him. They looked at their baby brother lovingly. No matter what, Mikey is not going to be alone in this fight, ever.

-TO BE CONTINUED-


	5. Chapter 4: Foot Soldiers Are Helping Us?

Back in New York  
It had been about 3 days since the funeral. The Mighty Mutanimals and everyone else were discussing on how to infiltrate the Foot Headquarters. "Ok, so does everyone know where they were supposed to go? And which team they are in?" "Yes." A chorus of yeses sounded. "Ok, let's go." Everyone moved out. Mikey had a determined look on his face. This time, they must take the Foot down. For good.

Foot Headquarters  
"Master Shredder, the Foot Soldiers have detected the orange turtle and his allies heading towards us." "So, the orange turtle has come to finish this?" The Shredder asked. "Well then, let him finish this. He will be walking to his very demise!" The Shredder claimed. The 3 figures grew worried for Mikey; is he going to be ok? They can't let the Shredder get his hands on Mikey!

Everyone else's Side  
The Mighty Muanimals and everyone else snuck into the Foot Headquarters and successfully infiltrated the Foot Headquarters by smashing up hordes of Foot Soldiers. Strangely, there's not a mutant to be seen. "Weird. Normally, Rahzar and Fishface and all the other mutants will just lay an ambush or fight us head-on. Why is it so quiet here?" Mikey thought. Just then, April had a feeling. "Guys, I don't have a good feeling about this...Something's wrong." "Actually, I think something's fishy here. Where are all the mutants?" Casey asked. Mikey shuddered. He didn't have a good feeling about the whole thing either.

"I see that you are here, turtle." That voice! They turned around to see a familiar figure. The Shredder! Mikey gulped. "You will not get away so easily. Bradford, Xever, capture those pathetic humans." Rahzar and Fishface came out of the darkness and grabbed Casey and April before they can do anything. They struggled but it was no use. "One slip and I will make their ends swift." Mikey tried to look bravely at the Shredder. "What do you want, Shredder? You've killed my brothers, what more do you want?" "I want you right in my hands." The Shredder then said, "We'll finish this, once and for all, turtle." "So, w-what are we waiting for then? Let's f-finish this!" Mikey exclaimed.

The Shredder and Mikey fought hard. The Shredder managed to injure Mikey several times. Mikey fell to the ground but he will get back up each time. "Why do you persist, turtle? You will be finished in a matter of minutes!" "I...I will not give up...You will be finished, and you will pay for killing my brothers!" Mikey answered with a glare. "You do have some spirit and fight left in you, turtle." The Shredder lifted something into the air. Mikey saw a red stone with a Foot insignia on it. "With this artefact, you will finished, turtle!" Just then, the red stone glowed as brightly as the sun and suddenly, Mikey started to feel weaker.

"What! What is this?! Unless..." As the Shredder pondered, suddenly, 3 Foot Soldiers came. 2 of them managed to force Rahzar and Fishface to let go of Casey and April. The strength that they showed while they pushed the mutants away took everyone by surprise. No one should be able to push Rahzar and Fishface so hard that they would leave a massive crack on the wall. The third Foot Soldier kicked the Shredder so hard that the Shredder was pushed back by a long distance. He then carried Mikey into another area. Casey and April were about to go after him when the Shredder suddenly rushed towards them. The 2 Foot Soldiers, Casey and April got ready to fight.

The remaining Foot Soldier examined Mikey thoroughly. Mikey's pulse is getting stronger, so he should be fine. The Foot Soldier thought back to that moment when the artefact started to glow. He also noticed that Mikey seemed to grow weaker, the longer he was exposed to the artefact. He also thought of what the Shredder had said about the artefact. The Shredder had said something about the artefact draining the life force of a pure soul. Is Mikey the 'pure soul' the artefact needed? Before he can think further, Mikey slowly opened his eyes.

"Oh, What the shell?" Mikey jumped up despite of the pain. The Foot Soldier raised his hands to show that he meant no harm, before gently putting Mikey back in sitting position. He then took out a first aid kit and started to clean Mikey's injuries. "Ow...thanks dude, I guess. I originally thought that all of the Foot Soldiers were bad or something, but it looks like I was wrong." He giggled a bit. The Foot Soldier gave no indication that he was listening to anything Mikey says, but Mikey knew somehow, that the Foot Soldier was listening to every word he was saying.

"Ok, so, my name is Mikey. My brothers were just killed by the Shredder and ow...Can you put less pressure on this?" The Foot Soldier shrugged apologetically before continuing to clean Mikey's injuries. "So, what's yours? Oh wait, I forgot that the Foot Soldiers can't talk." He laughed a bit before continuing. "Anyways, my bros were just killed by the Shredder and I...just...I miss them." Mikey hung his head a bit. "I can't talk to them physically, I can't do anything much anymore, it's...it's difficult." The Foot Soldier gave a light squeeze on Mikey's hand.

"But, even though it's difficult, I...I am not going to give up..." Mikey said, just as the Foot Soldier had started to stitch his major injuries. "The Foot must be stopped...once and for all..." Mikey passed out in exhaustion. The Foot Soldier did not mind. After all, though the battle was fought for several minutes, that artefact did drain some of his life force away, assuming that he was the 'pure soul'. He bandaged Mikey's injuries and pulled Mikey carefully into an embrace. He kissed Mikey lightly on the forehead and hugged him, not letting go for minutes. "Don't worry, Mikey, we will not let the Shredder get your soul. Not on our watch." He silently promised.

R, L, C and A's Side  
The Shredder rushed towards them, but Leo and Raph stood in the way and kicked him straight in the chest. The Shredder thought, "How did the Foot Soldiers have that much strength? The Kraang have told me that such strength is impossible for ordinary Foot Soldiers to handle. Unless..." The Shredder suddenly laughed out loud, causing everyone to be confused. "I see that even death has not stopped you from protecting your family, turtles." April and Casey widened their eyes and starred at the Foot Soldiers in front of them. Weren't those 2 turtles killed in the name of the Foot? How was it possible...?

"Do not pretend that you do not know what I was talking about, turtles. Such strength and force could not have been easily obtained by an ordinary Foot Soldier." April and Casey thought about it and it did make sense somehow. That kind of strength that they had demonstrated looked quite impossible to achieve, even for a very strong man. "But it does not matter. I will use the artefact to gain Michelangelo's soul and use it to rule the world and turn the world...into chaos!"

"Not today, Tin-Face!" Casey yelled and threw a hockey puck towards the Shredder, using a hockey stick. The Shredder got hit on the face. "ARGH!" Leo then punched the Shredder head-on. Raph then used the chance to kick him. The Shredder was pushed back onto the ground. "I will let you go for now, turtles." The Shredder used a smoke bomb to escape. "But, here's a warning, you will only be delaying your brother's demise." The mutants then disappeared along with the Shredder. "He escaped!" "Let's not go after the Shredder, Casey. Let's worry about Mikey first." Just then, Mikey was being carried in by a Foot Soldier.

Donnie's Side  
"There he is!" They hurriedly checked Mikey after Donnie handed him over to them. "Is he alright?" The Foot Soldier gave a nod and suddenly, they heard something. "Oh, it must be Slash and the others. Let's go." Donnie shook his head. "Why not?" The Foot Soldier nodded with the other 2 before leaving the Foot Soldiers' bodies. "Woah..." Casey said. Just then, the Mighty Mutanimals appeared. "We are sorry that we were late. The Kraang had spotted us. What happened?" "The Shredder escaped." "What?!" "Come on, we will explain on the way."

Back to the MM Headquarters  
Master Splinter was relieved to see them. When he heard about the whole battle, he frowned in thought. "I have indeed heard of this artefact. This artefact was passed down, from generation to generation, in the Foot Clan. Numerous people in the Foot Clan did actually try to use this certain artefact to take over the clan. Some chose to take over the world." "What happened to them?" "They were said to have been completely corrupted and were then lost in their own madness. In other words, they lost their mind and soul." They all gasped in horror when they heard about it.

"Master Splinter, the Shredder said about the artefact's ability to drain the life force of a pure soul. Mikey actually looked quite pale when he got close to it." "This is worse than I thought." Master Splinter frowned at April's observation. "I am afraid that Michelangelo possessed the life force of a pure soul. If his life force got absorbed, he will lose in mind and soul. Death is the worst consequence." "So, he will be like a...a zombie?" "That is correct, Casey." "That's...that's messed up." Casey frowned.

"This is why we must all make sure that the Shredder will not get his hands on Michelangelo." Slash commented. "That is correct, Slash. We must all be cautious. Anything rash can lead to risks in Michelangelo's safety." As everyone agreed, one of the 3 figures who stood by watching decided to visit Mikey in his dream. He had heard that any spirit can do that, so he decided to put it to test.

Mikey was dreamt that he was at some place in New York. It was raining heavily. His mood fell to an all-time-low as he was reminded of his brothers. Just then, he heard a familiar voice calling him. He then turned around. "Raph?"

-TO BE CONTINUED-


	6. Chapter 5: In His Dreams

Mikey saw a small turtle who wore a familiar red bandana. He wore a raincoat and appeared to have an umbrella with him. He looked like a 7 year old. "Mikey, are you alright?" Raph asked. Mikey saw Raph and immediately hugged him tight. "Mikey, what are you doing? Why are you hugging me?" "You...remind me of that moment when me and my brother went topside. It was raining that time, so we kinda have to...ransack the dumpster until we can find suitable raincoats and umbrellas. You were wearing that raincoat..." Mikey became lost in thought.

"That doesn't really explain why you are hugging me." "Oh, well...I...I miss those fun moments with my bros. Sure, they may not be the most perfect, but I would never replace them for the world." Mikey said. Raph gave him the umbrella for shelter. "I see. Well, I am sure that your brothers are...uh...protecting you and watching over you, as we speak." "Really, dream dude?" "Yeah, Mikey. So, you must cheer up. As long as the memories live, I am sure that your bros...will never truly die." "Thanks, dude. You know, you look just like my second oldest brother. He...can be quite hot-tempered, but he's a softie too." Mikey giggled. Raph resisted the temptation to grumble.

Raph hugged Mikey tightly, while thinking, "Mikey, we will always be here. We will never leave. Not for a million years." Not caring that he sounded like a weak turtle, Raph did not let go of him for minutes, and resolve to protect Mikey from the artefact. No one is getting Mikey's soul. Not on his watch.

A, C, MM and MS's Side  
"Master Splinter, the Shredder had mentioned about death not preventing the guys from protecting Mikey. He also called the Foot Soldiers 'turtles' and...something weird has happened as well." "So, what happened, April?" Master Splinter sighed inwardly. His sons must have possessed the bodies of Foot Soldiers and the Shredder had found out. This cannot be good. "The Foot Soldiers...They helped free me and Casey and one of them took Mikey and bandaged him. Is this some sort of...betrayal to the Shredder?"

"Yeah, something weird is going on, Master Splinter. What do the Foot Soldiers have anything to do with the dudes?" Casey asked. "The Foot Soldiers...were my sons." Master Splinter said. Everyone gasped in shock. "What? When did you have Foot Soldiers as sons, Master Splinter?" Casey asked. April nudged him on the elbow. "What?" "Casey, don't tell me that you have never heard of any supernatural stuff or watch supernatural shows on TV?" "But...they are just effects and stuff..." "Well, are they effects now?" Casey pondered for a moment. Everyone stared at him.

"No, I guess not." Casey shrugged. "So, they were possessing bodies or something?" "Yes, Slash. Apparently, they are helping us by possessing people's bodies and joining in." Dr Rockwell said. "So, what do we do, Master Splinter?" "For now, be on the lookout. This does not change the fact that the Shredder is somewhere out there. He can be anywhere in the city, so I advise all of you to be vigilant and cautious." "Yes, Master Splinter." They all agreed. The 2 figures (Raph came back though) nodded their heads. The Shredder must be stopped and he must also pay for what he had done.

Mikey's Side  
He woke up feeling a little drained. "What happened back there?" He then remembered. "I received some help from a Foot Soldier...wait a second..." He then thought about it. "I thought those Foot Soldiers became robots or something? Weren't they supposed to obey the Shredder's command since they were programmed to obey him?" He then heard some talking outside. He decided to listen in.

"The Foot Soldiers...were my sons." Mikey's eyes widened in amazement. "I thought...Didn't they die?" He decided to listen a bit more. "So they were possessing bodies or something?" "Yes, Slash..." Mikey thought about it. Suddenly, it all made sense. Why did 3 teenagers, whom he never knew in his life, come to the funeral and gave him his brothers' bandanas? How did they even know about everyone else in the first place? Why did their comforting ways seem familiar...? He dropped a few tears.

"Bros, you really did it...you guys promised and you guys did not fail me...thanks bros..." He fell fast asleep. He did not know that Leo's spirit sat on his bed and said, _"Anytime, little brother..."_

-TO BE CONTINUED-


	7. Chapter 6: Brothers To The Rescue!

When Mikey woke up, Master Splinter spoke to him about what he had missed the night before. "The Shredder is still out there. Hence, I strongly advise you to be cautious, vigilant and fully focused." "Hai, Sensei." Mikey obeyed respectfully before he went out of the makeshift room the MM had prepared for Master Splinter. They decided to stay at the MM Headquarters for the time being due to increased defences. If the Shredder ever found their lair, trouble might follow.

Mikey was mostly glad that he can stay at the MM Headquarters. He did not like feeling alone in the lair, now that his bros were gone. Just then, Dr Rockwell came in. "Master Splinter, Michelangelo, we are discussing about how to find the Shredder. We think that it is best that you offer your opinions on the whole matter, Master Splinter." "Very well. Michelangelo and I will come right away." They followed Dr Rockwell to the main room. Everyone else was there.

"So, as we were saying, we might have found a way to locate the Shredder." "How?" "We can use this Kraang equipment!" Dr Rockwell put up pictures for everyone to see. "This Kraang equipment, when controlled correctly, can locate a specified person about a mile away!" "Ok." "Great!" "Unfortunately, this Kraang equipment can only be found at the TCRI." "TCRI? Didn't we blew that building up? What could be left there?" "Most likely, there are only some smashed remains left, but if we want to locate the Shredder, we will just have to risk it."

The MM looked towards Master Splinter for advice. "Hmm...This plan may actually work. I advise you all, however, to be very careful. This mission may not be as easy as it looks." "Hai, Sensei!" "Yes, Master Splinter!" The 3 figures nodded their heads seriously. It's time for action!

At the TCRI  
Mikey, Casey and April are accompanied by Leatherhead this time, in case the Shredder decided to plan an ambush. Mikey looked around the wrecked room and memories started to flood in his mind. He was reminded of the time he had shellacne. His brothers put up with all the trouble and managed to get the central fuge or the 'centre fudge' as Mikey liked to call it. He paused for a moment.

"Mikey, are you ok?" April asked gently. He nodded his head before following them. "Ok, so, we should start our search here." "That's a lot of things, dude." "Then, we better get started, Casey." April said. Casey grinned. They made sure that they wore gloves before digging up the pile of remains, since there might be sharp objects in there. They used the picture that they took of the equipment as a reference.

"I see nothing in here. Did you guys find anything?" Mikey asked. "Not yet." April answered. "Oh, check out this thingy right here." "Casey, focus." "Whatever you say, Red." Casey smirked as he put the thing down and started to look for the equipment again. "I don't see anything here, Michelangelo." LH said. "Well, we better cover more ground, since there is a chance that we have missed it or something." "Ok, Red." Casey replied.

After the search  
"Nothing in here." "Nope, did not find anything in here." "I did not find what we were looking here." "Ok, so it's not here. I hope the others found it at some other place." April was just about to take her T-Phone out to call Pigeon Pete's team when suddenly, a Kraang alarm rang. "What the shell is going on in here? I thought that this place was abandoned for like, forever, since it went boom." Mikey commented. "I don't know...I..." April suddenly got a feeling. "Guys, I think someone had just entered the building." "What?" Casey asked.

"I am not sure, but I think...it's the Kraang..." "What? What are they doing here?" Mikey noticed that LH was about to go berserk again, so he soothed him. "It's ok, Leatherhead. Just chill." He said some soothing words to LH, causing him to regain control. "Guys, we have to warn the others and get out of here, fast." Before she can do that, Kraang droids started coming. "Kraang, creature known as one of the turtles and target known as April O' Neil are here. Kraang must destroy them." "Kraang droids? I thought that they had deserted this place." "This is must be one of the security measures that the guys had talked about." "So, what do we do?" "We take them down! BOOYAKASHA!" Mikey shouted as he charged towards the Kraang droids.

"Good idea!" Casey replied. "GOONGALA!" They each used their respective weapons and together, they smashed up the Kraang droids. "Now, that's teamwork!" Casey shouted. Leatherhead also used his tail to sweep some Kraang droids off their feet. Together, the Kraang droids are eventually destroyed. "C'mon, guys, we can't stay here for long. The security measures may activate again." They nodded their heads and rushed out of the area.

They approached a hallway and suddenly, another alarm sounded. "Oh shell..." Mikey thought. "What's gonna happen next?" Before they knew it, hordes of Kraang droids suddenly appeared and started shooting at them. Mikey got hit. "Mikey, are you alright?" "I am alright, I guess." Leatherhead suddenly went berserk and tore the Kraang droids apart. Suddenly, something surprising happened. 3 Kraang droids suddenly helped to hold the fort as Casey and April could not hold their ground much longer. One of the Kraang droids took Mkey and ran. 2 of the Kraang droids managed to calm Leatherhead down. Casey and April understood.

"It's about time. These Kraang droids are starting to annoy me." "Let's do this, guys." "Yeah, let's do it! GOONGALA!" Everyone rushed to the Kraang droids and attacked them.

Mikey's Side  
"Seriously, dude? Which one are you?" The Kraang droid paused for a moment and tugged at the purple fabric that Mikey tied around his wrist. Mikey tied his brothers' bandanas around his wrist to remind himself that his brothers will always be with him. Mikey looked at his action and understood. "Donnie? Donnie!" Mikey immediately hugged the Kraang droid tightly. Donnie hugged back as tightly as he could. When Mikey burst into tears, he fought the urge to cry himself. He wished that he could be with Mikey physically, but he couldn't. They were all separated by life and death.

"I miss you all, Donnie...I missed you guys..." _"I know, I miss you too, Mikey."_ Mikey widened his eyes. He can hear Donnie's thoughts? _"We missed you, Mikey. We do wish that we can be with you physically, Mikey, but we couldn't. We are sorry, Mikey, for leaving you alone."_ "It's...It's ok, dudes. I...I know that you guys have been cheering me up and helping me...Thanks bros..." _"No problem, Mikey. After all, what are brothers for?"_ Mikey gave a chuckle.

 _"So, are you hurt?"_ "Well..." _"Answer me, Mikey."_ "Does this count?" Mikey pointed to his arm. Donnie looked at the injury worriedly. Mikey's skin was burnt. Mikey guessed that Donnie was probably worried. "It's ok, Donnie. It's just a burn. Heh heh..." Donnie took a first aid kit that he saw in the Kraang facility and tend to his burn. Mikey stiffened a hiss. "Donnie, can you lessen on the pressure? I can still feel the burn over here." Donnie shrugged apologetically. Mikey saw how he shrugged his shoulders and became more certain that the Foot Soldier who helped him was Donnie. He smiled. "Thanks Donnie...I love you, bro..." Donnie paused for a moment. _"I love you too, Mikey."_ (A/N: Not referencing any T-Cest, romance, whatsoever. I do not write T-Cest. For me personally, it just seems wrong to me. :/ )

During the epic battle  
"Raph, Leo, April, is there any way to finish the Kraang off?" "I think it will help if we hid somewhere first to warn the others, then we figure out a way to take them down." They rushed into an abandoned room. "April to Slash, come in!" "Slash here, what's going on at your side? Are you in trouble? I heard the alarm going off..." "Slash, we are surrounded by hordes of Kraang droids. What's going on at your side?"

"We are approaching your way. Hordes of Kraang droids are rushing out from all four corners. Someone must have tripped the security here. Don't worry, we will be reaching you soon." "Ok, over and out." April, Casey and the others could have finished them off easily, but this time, the numbers were too massive. Raph and Leo exchanged looks. Will Donnie and Mikey be ok?

Donnie and Mikey's Side  
The pain of the burn had lessened. _"Are you sure that you are ok?"_ "Yes, Don. I am ok." Mikey said reassuringly. _"I don't think we should go down yet...There are hordes of Kraang droids about."_ "Yeah, you may be right. I have to say, this is one crazy security measure." _"Tell me about it."_ "Donnie, I wonder...How the shell can I hear your thoughts?"

-TO BE CONTINUED-


	8. Chapter 7: The Truth! Nightmare

Donnie and Mikey's Side  
 _"Oh, Master Splinter taught us to connect our minds with each other. I connected my mind with yours. This is why, Mikey, you can hear my thoughts."_ Donnie said gently. He then thought back on the spiritual lesson Master Splinter had secretly given them.

In The Spiritual Plane  
"I have been thinking for a while, and I have decided to teach you another form of meditation...Connecting to another mind." "Why do we need to connect our minds, Sensei?" Leo asked. "If you need to possess another body, Leonardo, it is vital that you know how to connect with another mind. When your mind is connected with another, that being can hear your thoughts. I am sure that this skill will be useful in a later time. Now, let us begin."

Present  
"Thanks, Sensei." Donnie secretly thanked Master Splinter while watching out for any sign indicating that they could find the others safely without being trampled upon by Foot Soldiers. _"So, Mikey, how are you coping? Any nightmares?"_ "Uh...no, Donnie...Dr Dreaminstein has no nightmares at all!" Mikey tried to downplay his sadness. _"Don't lie to me, Mikey, I know you had nightmares yesterday."_ "What? You were that turtle with the raincoat?" _"No, that's Raph."_ "Raph came into my dream? Woah..." Mikey was awestruck.

 _"Seriously, Mikey, what happened in your nightmares?"_ "I saw you guys dying...again...at the docks." _"Oh, Mikey..."_ Donnie pulled him closer. "It was worse, Donnie! You guys were just there, eyes opened and starring at me. There was so much blood, Donnie and I...was too late, Donnie. I was too late. Everyone told me that I should have been there earlier...I just felt so alone." A few silent tears dropped onto his cheeks.

 _"Mikey..."_ Donnie wiped his tears and hugged him as tightly as he could. _"There was nothing you could have done to save any of us. The Shredder had us outnumbered and he wanted your location to finish you off and break us. We wanted to protect you, Mikey, we didn't want you to die...We all told him to finish us off instead..."_ Donnie said. Mikey felt a tad guilty as he felt that he had allowed the Shredder to kill his brothers. _"Don't feel bad and blame yourself for this, Mikey. You did nothing wrong. We are all proud of you, baby bro...We are proud of you..."_ Donnie stroked Mikey's shell in soothing circles.

 _"You are not alone either. We are always and will always be with you, no matter what..."_ Mikey returned the hug. Donnie's tears were threatening to fall. How he had wished that he could be with Mikey physically, but he couldn't. He and the others have a chance to remain in the physical world because their deaths were not avenged yet. Only when the Shredder was destroyed can the other turtles cross over to the spiritual world completely.

Though they could not escape their fate and have no choice but to go over to the spiritual world when their deaths are avenged, they are reluctant. Their baby brother would then be left behind in the physical world, with no means of communication. As he was remembering his fate, Donnie hugged Mikey more tightly. He would take this chance to at least, spend more time with his baby brother, reassuring him that he was not alone.

L, R, C, A and LH's Side  
They were currently waiting for Slash and Dr Rockwell to appear. "So, dudes, you can possess bodies now? Even Kraang droids? Cool!" _"It's harder than it looks, Casey Jones."_ Raph said with a hint of smirk in his voice. "Woah, dude! You can talk with your mind? Awesome!" _"Yeah, since Master Splinter taught us some cool tricks about connecting the mind."_ "Really? Woah! Can you teach me sometime?" _"It's better if you don't try it, Casey."_ Leo interrupted.

 _"So, how's the knucklehead?"_ "Mikey's fine. Although, I did hear that he has been having some nightmares or something...I'm not sure though." Raph and Leo looked at one another after hearing about Casey's remark. Mikey's been having nightmares again? Oh shell... _"Once I get my hands on the Shredder, I will tear him apart!"_ Raph angrily commented. He will make the Shredder pay for causing pain for his baby bro AND threatening to kill him.

 _"Raph, let's not get too heated up! So, Mikey's been having nightmares?"_ "Yeah, whatever he dreamt about, it must be devastating, since Mikey was not too happy after every nightmare." April said. Leo thought about it. He then decided to do what he thought that he should do, which is to visit Mikey in his dreams that night, when Mikey is asleep. After a few seconds later, a large sound is heard. It sounded like a mace hitting on metal. "Must be Slash and Dr Rockwell." Leatherhead said with a smile. April and Casey were mostly relieved. Raph and Leo patiently waited for Donnie and Mikey to arrive.

D and M's Side  
"This security measure is getting annoying! How long will this last?" Mikey impatiently waited. Donnie shook his head affectionately. Still the same old Mikey, it seems, despite of what he had to go through. "Wait! What's that sound?" They heard metal being crushed into scrap by what sounded like a mace. "Must be Slash and Dr Rockwell! They are here!" _"And, they had something with them!"_ "What do you mean?" _"You'll see."_ Donnie said with a smile.

S, Dr R, L, R, C, A, LH's Side  
"I am so sorry we are late. The security measures we encountered were massive." "I'll say." Casey said. Suddenly, Dr Rockwell heard a familiar voice. _"So, Dr, have you found the equipment yet?"_ "I assume that you 2 are Leonardo and Raphael? Where is Donatello?" _"He's...currently busy at the moment."_ Leo said in his mind. "I see." Dr Rockwell said simply, as he had assumed that Donnie took Mikey with him, he noticed that Mikey went missing.

"Good news, everyone. I found the equipment." There were some cheers. "Now, we just need to finish off these Kraang droids. Slash, are you up for it?" "Of course, Doctor." Slash said with a smirk and together with Raph, smashed a large group of Kraang droids. "It's good to see you again, bud." _"It's...great to see you too."_ Raph said sadly in his mind. He was a tad upset for leaving Slash behind as well, but he knew that the damage was already done. Slash looked a little sad too, but he seemed to have accepted the fact that Raph was gone better than he had expected.

With everyone's help, the Kraang droids are destroyed. "Finally." Casey said. "Ok, I will contact the others to meet us at the TCRI entrance. Pigeon Pete's team is still separated from our team." As Slash made a call through his newly-installed headphones, Donnie finally arrived with Mikey.

Everyone's Side  
"Mikey, you got hurt?" Casey saw the bandage on his arm. "Who did this to you? I will..." _"Relax, Jones. Mikey is fine. Unless you wanna burst a blood vessel or something."_ "Donnie, is that you? Seriously, dude..." He was about to say more when Slash came in. "Pigeon Pete and the others are coming. So, we have to go to the entrance immediately." The 3 Kraang Droids became as lifeless as those Foot Soldiers, but everyone else sensed that they were still among them. "Let's move!" Everyone rushed towards the TCRI entrance.

MM Headquarters  
"Ok, I managed to install the equipment into our systems. In a few hours(at least) or maybe days (at most), we can track the Shredder and take him down." "That's good." Mikey said. Everyone agreed that that sounded good as well, including the 3 figures who were silently sitting among them. Though they wanted to remain in the physical world, they all agreed that he Shredder should be taken down once and for all, for the good of everyone, especially Mikey.

When Mikey fell asleep in the makeshift bed, he dreamt about that scene again. "Oh no... Not again." Mikey rushed towards the bodies lying on the floor. "Donnie!" He tried to shake Donnie awake, but it was too late. He was horrified at the sight of Donnie's eyes opening and starring at him. He tried to shake Leo and Raph awake as well. "Leo! Raph! Come on! Don't leave me alone like this!" Mikey desperately pleaded. The result was the same. No response came, and their eyes were open and starring right at him. Just then, voices were heard.

"It was your fault that they died!" "If you had listened to your brothers and fought the Shredder, none of this would have happened!" "You are all alone now, turtle! Who's gonna help you now?" Voices were heard taunting him and blaming him. Mikey yelled back. "It's not true!" "Of course it's true. Your brothers died because of you!" "You should have known better." Mikey closed his eyes and crouched in one corner, crying his heart out. Tears began to pour endlessly.

"Mikey, are you ok?" A gentle and familiar voice was heard. "L-Leo?" He opened his eyes to see a 10-year-old turtle standing there with a blue bandana. "Leo!" He hugged Leo tightly while he cried. Leo peeked over his shoulder and saw the dead bodies and their eyes starring at Mikey's direction. Taunting voices were also heard around him. His expression became grim. This was serious.

Leo blamed himself a little for not being there for Mikey when he was having a nightmare earlier. He stroked Mikey's shell. "Mikey, it's ok...It's ok. I am here. Don't cry..." Leo then wiped Mikey's tears off his face. He comforted Mikey. "Otouto, watashi wa anata ga daisuki desu, (I love you, little brother,)" He said. "It's not your fault, Mikey, so don't listen to them. We love you and you will never be alone. We will always be with you. Don't cry, Mikey." He comforted the distraught turtle with comforting ways he knew. "Don't worry, Mikey. I am here." Mikey was afraid to let go of Leo, but Leo was fading out of the dream anyways. "Don't worry, Mikey. Everything's gonna be alright." Leo faded.

When Mikey woke up the next morning, he sensed that the pain caused by his nightmares was gone. No heartache, no guilt feeling, nothing. "Thanks, Leo..." He whispered softly. As he went out of the room, Leo stood by the bed with a gentle smile on his face.

-TO BE CONTINUED-


	9. Chapter 8: Located! Protection!

After Several Hours  
"Everyone, I have fantastic news. The Shredder is located at an old lab, just across some street." "Wait..." Mikey took a look at the map. "Isn't that Baxter's old lab? What would the Shredder be doing there?" Everyone paused and thought about that question. "Hmm...I am not very certain, Michelangelo, but I suggest that everyone be on their guard in case the Shredder decided to set a trap to capture us." Dr Rockwell said. "Yes, Doctor." Slash said. "Now, let's finish the Shredder off once and for all!" He said.

Shredder's Side  
"Stockman! Are you certain that this trap will work?" "Buzzzzzz...Yeszzzzzz, Mazzzzter Shredder. The turtle will fall into thizzzzz trap." "Excellent. I need the turtle's soul to complete my plans to rule the world. The world would soon be...in chaos!" The Shredder declared. Now, they wait for their enemies to appear. They knew that their enemies would find them anyways. The Shredder decided to take this chance to capture the turtle's soul. Nothing would stop him again!

Everyone's Side  
"Ok, guys, let's keep in contact with each other in case any of us found the Shredder. If anyone of us do, contact us as soon as possible and tell us your location. We will be there as fast as we can." "Got it." "Ok." The team split up into 3 large groups. Mikey's group was the biggest, since they were worried that Mikey might not make it out of the old lab. They scoured around, looking for the Shredder. "Guys, I sense that something is here. Watching us." "What? What is watching us, April?" "WATCH OUT!" April warned them but it was too late. Everyone got captured. The mutants who caught them smashed their headsets.

"So, the turtles' allies have come. I see that Michelangelo has come to meet his doom. Well done, Stockman. You shall be rewarded." "Thanzzzz you, Mazzzzter Shredder." Baxter spit some acid on the floor, making April frown in disgust. "Let go of us!" "We are not afraid of you!" "Let go of Michelangelo!" "SILENCE!" Mikey's neck is at the tip of the gauntlet's sharp claws. "Resist, and I will make his end swift." With sullen faces, they kept quiet.

"So, Michelangelo, the day has come. To meet your doom!" "I am not afraid of you, Shredder!" "It does not matter whether you fear me or not. Because, behold...The Blood Stone!" He held out the Blood Stone. He then started to use it. Mikey started to feel weaker. "This artefact can absorb a life force of a pure soul and since you happened to have the pure soul, you shall perish! Now, prepare to say your last words, turtle!" Mikey thought about how it was the end. He had spent a good life in this world which is full of things ready to be explored. He regretted about not being able to see the world again, and having to say goodbye to his friends and more importantly, his sensei. "Goodbye, guys, I guess we can see each other soon." A few tears dropped onto his cheeks.

Suddenly, Mikey's eyes flashed green. "Not this time, Shredhead!" With a huge force, Mikey kicked Shredder so hard that he got pushed back onto a wall. The Shredder was partly overwhelmed by the brute force that Mikey gave out.

Mikey's Side  
After a few seconds of being weakened by the artefact, Mikey opened his eyes to see darkness around him. What amazed him the most is that he could not feel anything. He couldn't regain control of his body. He was about to panic when a sudden warmth rushed towards him. "Don't worry, Mikey. You're safe now." "Donnie?" The purple-clad turtle rushed towards his baby brother and gave him a hug. Mikey hugged back. "What's going on...Wha..."

"We possessed your body, Mikey." Donnie answered. "We couldn't let the Shredder get your soul, so we dived in to protect you. Are you alright?" "I...I'm fine." Donnie wiped his tears away. "Don't worry, Mikey. We promised to protect you, and we will." "Thanks, Don." After a few seconds, he asked, "Who's controlling my body?" "Raph is." They looked up to see Leo. "I let him. He has...a lot to let out of his system." Mikey giggled a bit. Everyone knew about Raph and his short temper. Leo hugged him tightly. "Good to see you, little brother." Mikey returned the hug.

Raph's Side  
"Those green eyes looked familiar." The Shredder thought. Suddenly, he knew. "Raphael, nice to meet you again. I can see that death does not stop you from protecting your brother." Raph growled. "But that does not matter. We shall see who triumphs on this battlefield." "I couldn't agree more." Raph smirked. Let the battle begin!


	10. Chapter 9: The Fall Of The Blood Spirit

**A/N: Apologies for the long delay! Hope you guys enjoy this! :)**

With Mikey out of danger...for now, the others immediately seized the chance to kicked the Shredder's allies out of the way. Slash stepped on Rahzar's foot and kicked him onto the ground. Fishface was kicked by Casey and Casey managed to land on the ground safely. He then used a hockey puck to hit Baxter Stockman in the face. "Buzzzzzz..." Baxter was overwhelmed by the sudden hit, causing him to let go of April. "Thanks, Casey." "You're welcome, Red. So, let's take these freaks down!" Casey smirked. "GOONGALA!"

The Turtles' Side  
The Shredder rushed towards Raph to stab him but Raph dodged out of the way with an unnatural speed and pushed the Shredder forward. The Shredder slowed down to a stop when Raph kicked him again. The Shredder then landed onto a wall. Raph saw a katana hanging on a wall so he took it and rushed towards the Shredder. He lifted the katana and got ready to stab him. Suddenly, the Blood Stone was glowing. To his horror, a dark entity flew from the Blood Stone into Mikey's body. Raph collapsed as he felt the entity entering and trespassing into Mikey's soul. Raph hurriedly rushed after him, leaving Mikey physically unconscious.

Leo let go of Mikey when he felt that a darkness was approaching. "Guys, I sensed that...something is...coming. I don't like it." Donnie and Mikey looked around cautiously. Suddenly, they saw something dark entering. Donnie immediately wrapped Mikey protectively while Leo stood in front of them. "I am known as the Blood Spirit. For centuries now, I have been absorbing millions of pure souls, growing more powerful. The ones who wanted to possess my power did not know that I have been absorbing their life forces as well." The Blood Spirit said, slowly and eerily, while looking at Mikey hungrily. Donnie wrapped around Mikey even closer.

"Even though I have absorbed millions of souls, I am not satisfied with them. Why? Because they are not pure enough! I wanted the soul of someone who is completely pure and bright, with no darkness in the soul. You 3 were almost absorbed by me, when you were...killed, but you got lucky, as there are hints of darkness in your souls. I do not want a soul with darkness in it!" "So, what does Mikey have anything to do with this?" Leo shouted. Mikey started to whimper. Donnie soothed him by stroking his shell in soothing circles affectionately.

"Michelangelo has a soul which is bright and pure. I want his soul, so that I can finally reached my full potential and be freed from the wretched stone!" "Don't you dare think about it!" Leo shouted and rushed towards the Blood Spirit to kill it, but the Blood Spirit repelled Leo and sent him back by a long distance. "LEO!" Donnie yelled. "At last, turtle...It's time to meet your end." "Not so fast!" Donnie rushed towards Mikey and unleashed his blade. "Foolish turtle. You cannot hurt me or even touch me. No one can hurt or injure a spirit." Donnie got sent back by a strong force. "DONNIE!" Mikey shouted. "Now, turtle, prepare to meet your end!" As the spirit prepared to absorb the soul of a terrified Mikey, suddenly...

"GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!" Raph shouted and pulled Mikey away from the spirit. "Mikey, are you alright?" He shook Mikey's shoulders gently. Mikey got out of the shock instantly. "Raph!" He hugged Raph tightly. Raph returned the hug and shouted as he let go of Mikey. "Did that spirit hurt you? Did it do something to you? I WILL GET THAT THING AND..." "He...He was absorbing my soul." "What?" "He said that he came from this stone and he wanted to absorb my soul..." "Oh shell..." Raph thought. "This is worse than the worst."

"Don't worry, Mikey. We will make sure that this...thing will be gone, for good." "Thanks, Raph." They were then interrupted by a loud voice. "So, Michelangelo's brothers are attempting to rescue him? How touching...But pathetic." Raph instinctively shielded Mikey protectively. "I have all of the spiritual energy from all of the souls I've absorbed, but you have only one type of spiritual energy, which is your own souls. How can you hope to defeat me?" He taunted. "By doing this!" Raph and Mikey turned around to see Leo and Donnie using their own spiritual energies to hit him. The Blood Spirit yelped in pain.

"Hmm...your brotherly bond is stronger than I thought. Your spiritual energies contain this bond." The Blood Spirit commented. "But that won't stop me! I will just have to absorb all of you! I can get your bond and the soul I want! I can be more invincible and have the power to rule the world!" The 4 turtles instantly felt themselves weakening. However, the 3 all gathered up some strength to protect Mikey from it. They must protect Mikey from that Spirit...even if it means destroying their souls forever.

Suddenly, a feeling of warmth, protection and fatherly love entered into the atmosphere. "GET AWAY FROM MY SONS!" "Master Splinter!" They chorused as Master Splinter dodged an attack from the Blood Spirit and used his spiritual energy to hit him. The Blood Spirit fell onto the ground. "Sensei! How did you get here?" "I sensed a dark presence in the spiritual plane and found out that this entity is trespassing into Michelangelo's body. Michelangelo, are you alright?" "I'm fine, Sensei." Just then, the Blood Spirit climbed back up.

"This must be your master, turtle." He sneered. "I have to admit, he is more powerful than I thought. But, no matter." He gathered up his spiritual energy to hit them. "I will crush all of you!" "We must concentrate, my sons! Find your own spiritual energies and focus on them! You have as much power on the spiritual plane as his! You can do it!" The 4 sat in a meditative pose and channelled their energies. "Very good, my sons. Now, attack him with that energy!" They focused and struck him hard. The Blood Spirit was pushed out of Mikey's body.

Everyone's Side (Except the Turtles and Master Splinter)  
Everyone was horrified to see the Blood Spirit groaning in the air. Just then, Leo took control of Mikey's body and struck that stone hard with the forgotten katana. The stone was immediately destroyed. Everyone watched as millions of white entities rushed out of the crumbled stone and flew into the sky. The spirits, after being locked up for centuries, are finally free and released into the skies above. The spirits vanished without a trace.

The Blood Spirit was also nowhere to be seen. Leo heaved a sigh of relief. Mikey immediately passed out physically. Just then, the building began to collapse. "Come on, guys, let's get out of here!" Casey yelled. Leatherhead carried Mikey's body out of the old lab. "NOOOOOOOOO!" The Shredder was then seemingly crushed by the stones and rocks. He never made it out. The MM and their enemies rushed out of the old lab. Just in time to see the old lab collapse into a pile of heap.

Hamato Family's Side  
"We did it! It's over!" Raph cheered. "Yes, the catastrophe is finally over." Master Splinter smiled as Mikey moved closer to him. Just then, a spirit who looked like a soldier entered. "Donatello, Leonardo and Raphael, I have news from the Spirit King."

-TO BE CONTINUED-


	11. Chapter 10: Resurrection?

**A/N: Last Chapter! Hope you guys enjoy this story! :)**

Everyone stiffened when they heard the soldier's words. "The Spirit King says that you must enter the spirit world in peace and reincarnate as another being when the time is right." "Guys, what's going on...? What's the soldier saying?" Donnie kneeled down in front of Mikey. "Mikey, we're sorry, but because of the spiritual laws, we...we can't stay in the physical world anymore..." "What...?" Mikey was at a loss. "Mikey, we're sorry." Tears began to flow from Mikey's eyes.

"YOU GUYS ARE LEAVING?!" Mikey yelled. "WHY CAN'T YOU STAY LONGER OR SOMETHING? YOU PROMISED! You promised..." Mikey started to cry. Donnie hugged him tightly while his own tears flowed down onto his cheeks. "We're sorry, Mikey. I'm sorry. We can't stay in this world for long, since we would then be disobeying the spiritual laws. Spirits and living beings are two separate beings. We managed to stay here with you as our deaths were not avenged. But, now that our deaths are truly avenged...we have no further reason to stay in the physical world anymore. We have to go..." "WHAT? AM I NOT A REASON FOR YOU GUYS TO STAY IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD? I just..." Mikey started to sob. "I feel lonely, bros. I would be truly alone." More tears began to pour.

"No, you won't..." Leo said and he hugged Mikey tightly while Donnie backed away to wipe his tears. Raph put a comforting shoulder on Donnie. "We would still be watching over you. Just from a different place. You will never be alone, Mikey. You will never be..." Leo's tears started to flow out. "Don't worry, Mikey...We will see each other again soon. You'll see..." "You sure?" Mikey asked with uncertainty. "Yes, Mikey. We will be watching over you from a different place. This is not the end, neither are you alone, ok?" "Alright." Mikey finally calmed down.

"You do not have to worry about forgetting about us, Mikey. Besides, just remember, if you feel lost, scared or alone, our bandanas should remind you, Mikey. We will always be with you, right here." Leo pointed at Mikey's heart. "Ok, Leo." Raph finally approached. "Knucklehead, I am not the one for compliments, but..." Raph pointed at Leo. "What Fearless said was true. We will never truly leave you behind. We will always be watching over you, no matter what." "Thanks guys." He quietly mumbled. The 3 turned towards Master Splinter.

"Father..." Leo said. "We will miss you. We love you, Father. We really do." "And I love you, my sons." Master Splinter said sadly. He knew that this was goodbye. "Goodbye, Father. I hope that we will see you soon. And Mikey..." Mikey raised his head. "We love you bro." "I loved you bros too." Mikey smiled sadly and waved. The soldier understandably brought them into the doorway to the spiritual world without pushing them. That would not be helping the griefing family members. With a flash, everyone was gone.

"Look, Mikey's waking up." April said. "Michelangelo, are you alright? Do you have any injuries?" "Uh, I'm ok." "Is something wrong, Mikey?" "Leo, Donnie and Raph..." "What's wrong? Did something happen to them?" Slash said. "Uh, they have...crossed over to the spirit world...in...in peace. They are ok now." Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. It may not have been the best news ever, but they were happy to hear that they are at peace now.

Just then, Rahzar spoke up. "I may have been your enemy, Michelangelo. But, I will graciously postpone our battle. Next time we meet, you shall perish!" "And I will be waiting." Mikey determinedly said. Rahzar left. Everyone else left as well, except Bebop who said, "This ain't over yet!" Bebop left after the speech. Even though Mikey had no idea of what the future might bring, but he looked at his brothers' bandanas and smiled. Everything will be alright. "Don't worry, my brothers." Mikey whispered. "I will be fine, I promise."

In The Spirit World  
After the 3 turtles crossed the spirit world, the King pondered for a moment. He had seen the close-knit relationship that the brothers had and to not say that he was touched by it was an understatement. He thought about it for a moment before saying, "Colonel Lawrence, please bring the turtles to the resurrection area. They shall be resurrected and joining their youngest brother very soon."

-THE END (At least, for this book)-  
(Sequel confirmed!)


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